


Silence of the Soul

by GeekLibrarian



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Hospitalization, Pain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2019-06-20 11:14:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15532998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeekLibrarian/pseuds/GeekLibrarian
Summary: Nearly five years after the Battle on the Moon, our heroes are still working to free the world from future Kishins. In one of the missions, something feels off, but Maka and Soul venture in anyway. They fall in a trap and they both get severely injured.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic follows up the arc from the manga. They're now around 19-20 years old.

It was supposed to be an easy job.

Easy way in, easy way out. But somewhere along the “in” and the “out” everything just went sideways.

 

Inhale.

 

_‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Soul’ Maka said “There’s something about the intel that just doesn’t fit.”_

_‘Do you want to go back?’ he asked._

_‘No, I just… let’s be careful’ she said, holding tight to the Scythe in her hands._

 

Exhale.

 

_‘Maka, watch out!’ Soul shouted, but the clown’s sharp rags were already coming at them._

_Maka tried to block them, a few got to her but one wrapped around Soul’s handle and his scream pierced the air. The clown pulled until she lost her grip and the Scythe flew through the air until Soul hit the floor, coughing blood._

_‘SOUL!’ she shouted, running towards him. Somewhere in her back he heard Professor Stein shouting her name, but she didn’t turn._

 

Inhale.

 

_Maka’s scream pierced the air. He saw the sharp piece of cloth bursting through her back, a flash of light and then the clown was dead._

_‘Maka, Maka!’_

_Her body fell limp on the floor in front of him, but he just couldn’t move._

_‘Maka!’_

_Was that Spirit?_

_‘Maka…’ her name died in his throat without ever making it to a sound._

 

Exhale.

 

He was floating in darkness. Where was this? He couldn’t see the piano room, he couldn’t see Maka’s soul either.

‘Then I’m not turned into a scythe’ he said outloud, but the noise died as soon as it left his lips, as if something thick had sucked it.

‘Where am I?’ he asked to the darkness, but no one answered.

‘Where’s Maka...?’

 

‘I cannot tell for sure, Senpai.’ the voice of Professor Stein reached him through the dense blackness. ‘I’ve done everything in my power, but…’

‘But _what_?’ he shouted to the void, Spirit was asking the same.

‘Her wavelength’s just not responding’ Stein’s words came through to him like a bucket of ice. It couldn’t be, she had to be alright, she had to live… she had to…

 

‘MAKA!’ his shout echoed in the room as he sat in the bed where he was lying. It was Shibusen’s infirmary room, he could tell, despite the curtains around his bed. He got up in a rush, his insides hurting and burning, still he didn’t care.

The curtain to his left flung open, and Stein and Spirit were both there, looking exhausted and sorrowful.

‘Soul…’ the doctor started, but he moved past him.

In the bed behind them was Maka, and the sight of her made him lose the little strength he had, his knees failed and he would’ve fallen to the floor if Spirit hadn’t caught him.

He couldn’t drive his eyes away from her. She was dead pale, all bruised and wounded, and a big patch of gauze and bandages was wrapped around the left side of her torso, including her arm. There were tubes going from her nose and mouth to a machine that was clearly helping her to breath.

‘W-Wha… Why? What’s wrong with her?’ Soul asked. Stein averted his eyes, and Spirit’s filled with tears as he helped him back into the his bed. ‘Professor… Senpai…’

‘You need rest, Soul. Try and get some sleep. We will talk about this in the morning.’ Stein approached him with a sedative and before he could protest, Soul was gone.

 

When he woke up again, he heard the rushed whispers reaching him from far away before he realized who they were.

‘Professor Stein said it’s her lung?’

‘Yeah… it missed the heart only by an inch.’

‘She was lucky.’ there was a low scoff.

‘If you wanna call that _luck_.’ and after a pause ‘If only we’ve been there…’

When he opened his eyes, he had trouble recognizing his best friend in the battered up guy sitting next to him.

‘Black Star?’ he whispered, and the assassin looked at him trying (and failing) to present him with a smile.

‘Dude, you look like crap’ he said, and Soul knew he was intending to lighten up the situation.

‘Well, you’re not exactly charming either, but at least I can get better’ Black Star let out a grim laugh and looked at him.

‘I’m glad you’re alright, Soul’ said Tsubaki from the other side of his bed, and he tried to smile back at her.

‘It’s good to have you back, man.’ Black Star added.

‘Yeah… I’m not sure I wanna be…’ Soul answered, and averted his eyes to the curtain to his left, behind which was a still very unconscious Maka.

‘She’ll be up in no time. Maka is a very strong woman.’ Tsubaki said with a wide smile that made him feel a bit better.

‘She better be’ said Black Star with a very serious stare, and added no more.

Soul rested his head back in the pillow and looked at the ceiling. If it weren’t for him, Maka wouldn’t have been hurt. If he just wasn’t so damn weak, so damn…

‘Useless…’ the word left his lips in a whisper and tears came to his eyes, so he covered them with his arm, not wanting his friends to see him cry. _Not cool_.

‘You did everything in your power, Soul.’ Tsubaki told him while holding his free hand ‘But we weapons… we have our limits too. We are human.’

‘Tsubaki’s right, man. Don’t beat yourself up, there’s only one culprit in this whole damn thing, and he’s definitely not you.’

Black Star rose from his chair and looked at her partner.

‘Tsubaki.’

‘Yes.’

But before they could walk away, Sid was pushing Black Star back down to his chair.

‘You’re not going anywhere.’ and he handed him a note that, Soul could see, had Shibusen’s seal and Kid’s signature. ‘By order of Shinigami, you and Tsubaki are forbidden to leave Death City.’

‘You’re kidding me!’ The assassin rose to his feet again, bursting with anger ‘HE CAN’T DO THIS!’

‘Oh, he very well can. If you have any objections, I suggest you go talk to him. But Black Star,’ Sid added, as he walked past him ‘this enemy, whoever it is, he won’t go easy on you like Mifune did back then…’

‘I know. Tsubaki!’

‘Yes!’ she said, and run after him.

‘Don’t worry’ the professor told Soul ‘Kid has no intention of letting any other of his friends go rampage into a deadly mission.’

‘Yeah… I don’t think Kid has the power to stop Black Star, not when it’s about Maka.’ Soul closed his eyes, trying not to think about her and her fragile condition. He diverted the conversation to another subject. ‘I always wondered why is it that he’s so protective about her if they’re always fighting.’

Sid sat on the chair Tsubaki had been using until moments before and sighed.

‘I think that, from a very young age, Black Star took it upon himself to protect Maka. Maybe he saw her small, or weak, or cute, or whatever you want to think, but even if he can’t admit it, I’m quite sure that Maka is to him the closest thing he’s known to a sister.’

‘Sister?’ Soul tried to sit up on the bed, but his insides still hurt like hell.

‘Yeah. Well, Maka and Black Star grew up together here in Shibusen, and while very powerful she’s always had that aura of damsel in distress… And many kids used to pick up on her, for being small and thin, saying she would never be able to brandish any kind of weapon.’

‘She never told me that’

‘She’s a very proud and stubborn girl. Proof of that is that she picked you as her weapon.’

Soul smiled at this statement, Sid was probably right, he was big as a scythe, difficult to brandish and as a human, difficult to get along with. She choosing him had been initially a way to show off those bullies. _Good for her_.

‘The thing is’ Sid went along ‘Black Star always stood up for her, when she couldn’t. And now, almost 18 years later, he still does. Because she’s family.’

‘He still fights the fights she can’t.’ Soul said, and grinned. It was nice knowing Maka had Black Star, just like he had.

 

After a week, Soul’s pain had mostly disappeared and Stein said he could go home, so he got up and got dressed, and walked to the other side of the curtain and sat there, watching Maka depend on a machine, barely breathing and holding to her life through a very thin thread.

He had heard Stein and Spirit talking the night before. Maka’s soul was fading, her wavelength had almost disappeared and no matter how much the doctor tried to burst it with energy of his own, it didn’t seem to get any better.

The dim light of the blackened moon was all the light in the room when Nygus came in and turned on the lights.

Soul jump to his feet and she let out a small shriek, followed by a sigh of relief.

‘Soul, you scared me. I thought you were already home.’

‘Can’t go home… not without her.’ his rubi eyes fixed again on Maka.

‘Soul. You need to go home. You need to start again, step by step, to live the life she gifted you.’ Soul looked at the nurse with pain all over his face ‘I know it’s not easy, but it’s really not for anyone else either. All her friends are worried too, but they’re all doing what they can. Besides… Is there no one back home, to welcome you?’

The tone she used, the words... _no one_.

‘Blair…’ Soul muttered ‘She… she doesn’t know.’

‘Well then, she must be worried.’

Nygus left the room into the deposit and left him there. Soul reached for Maka’s hand but stopped before even touching it.

‘I’ll be back tomorrow.’ he whispered, and left.

 

The streets of Death City were empty. Most of the shops had already closed, and people were warding against the cold inside their houses.

Soul bought some food in the last open store, and kept the slow pace until the very door of their apartment. Everything seemed so strange, so out of place.

 

Inhale.

 

_He opened the door and left the bag over the kitchen table. Maka was finishing some paperwork and gave him a smile._

_‘Did you manage to get everything?’_

_‘Yeah’ he said, letting himself fall on the couch with a loud thump ‘I had to walk the entire friggin city, I hope you’re happy.’_

_‘I am, thank you, Soul!’ she said with the sweetest grin ‘I promise it will be worth it!’_

_He looked at her sideways and couldn’t help but to return half a grin._

_‘Yeah, it better be. You’ll get nori seaweed next time I’m on charge of dinner, if it’s not.’_

 

Exhale.

 

_‘Maaakaaa! I’m starving!’ Soul cried as he burst through the front door, closing it with a kick and falling in a chair._

_‘Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes…’ she said, and looking back at him added ‘Hi, by the way.’_

_‘Sorry.’ he said, his head resting on the table ‘Hi, Maka. How was your day? Mine was awful.’_

_She gave him a forgiving smile and said ‘Busy, but nice.’_

 

Inhale.

 

_‘Soul, have you seen Blair?’ Maka asked, bending down on her knees, to look under the couch._

_‘Not since this morning. I think she said she was going to the Chupa Cabra today.’ he had his apron on and was cooking dinner. ‘Offer her some food, she’ll come.’_

_‘That’s not very nice of you, Soul.’ said Blair, appearing on the open window of the living room._

_‘See’ he said, looking at a very pleased Maka ‘Told you.’_

_‘Oh, Soul, don’t be mean!’ said Maka with a cute laugh. ‘Hey, Blair, what do you want to have for dinner?’_

_‘Salmon!’ answered the cat, running by her side towards the fridge._

_‘No, not salmon, you had it yesterday. And too much salmon is just not good for you!”_

 

Exhale.

 

The key went into the lock as always, and the door opened as if it didn’t matter that she was not there. But the inside of the apartment was dark and cold and silent. He shut the door closed and rested his back against it, still holding the little bag with food in one hand and the keys in the other.

‘W-who’s there?’ asked a trembling voice, and out of his bedroom came Blair. ‘Soul!’

She transformed and run towards him as a woman, but her smile fainted as she saw his expression.

‘What’s wrong, Soul? Where have you been?’ she looked around and noticed ‘Where’s Maka?’

Soul took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes.

‘I’m sorry, Blair. I couldn’t come home sooner.’

‘That’s alright, I… I…’ he could tell she had been worried sick, it showed in her red eyes.

‘That last mission. It didn’t go well. It was a trap, and we got badly injured. I was just dismissed, but Maka… Maka’s in some kind of coma.’

Blair covered her mouth with both her hands and her eyes filled with tears.

‘Soul…’

‘I brought dinner.’ he said turning on the lights and placing the bag over the table ‘Though I think I’ve bought too much.’

The cat placed a hand on his back, not really knowing what to say.

‘Hey, Blair,’ Soul said in a hush ‘what do you want to have for dinner?’

She sighed and whispered ‘Salmon?’

‘No, not salmon. Too much salmon…’ but his voice broke and tears finally started to pour ‘too much salmon’s just not good for you!’ he cried. Blair hugged him and they stayed like that for a long time. _Not cool_.

 

The next day, and every day from that day on, Blair would wake up, make breakfast for Soul and drag him to Shibusen.

‘You have your Death Scythe’s duties’ she said, and he agreed. Partly because there was no escaping those, and partly because he knew Maka wouldn’t forgive him if she woke up to him being a mess. She was the reason he had stopped running, and he wasn’t going to throw that away.

He had also agreed to Kid’s suggestion to take one of the younger students class and was giving them basic weapon training twice a week.

But every second he had free, he would go and watch Maka in her bed, silently.

Black Star and Tsubaki had returned from their mission empty handed. The place they had visited was a ruin and there was nothing there, not even the slightest hint of madness. Just the leftovers of the battle.

 

‘Cheer up, Soul’ said Black Star one day, a couple of weeks after he had left the infirmary. ‘Stein says she’s stable now. Her soul ain’t going anywhere.’

‘Yeah, for now.’ he said flatly ‘But it’s not coming back either.’

They were laying in the grass, under one of the trees of the park where they used to play basketball in happier times. The air was getting warmer and it felt good on his lungs,

‘There you are’ Kid’s voice forced him to open his eyes.

‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere, Soul’ Kid said in a tired tone, walking towards them.

‘Couldn’t you just look for my soul wavelength?’ Soul asked, sitting up.

‘I did. But I couldn’t find you. Kinda weird, now that I think of it.’

Soul didn’t thought so, though. He had realized that with Maka clinging on the verge of life, his own soul was small and cold.

‘Anyway. We’re having a meeting with the Witches and I would very much like for you to come with me.’

‘And you came down all the way here to tell him that, Shinigami-sama?’ Black Star asked with a mischievous grin.

‘Well… yes.’

‘You could’ve send someone.’ Soul said, joining his friend in the mockery.

‘There was no one available.’ Kid was trying to keep his temple, and failing big time.

‘Maybe…’ said Black Star ‘Or maybe you couldn’t bare having spent so much time away from my magnificent figure!’

‘Not really…’ Kid started, but Soul cut him off by punching his shoulder.

‘Come on, let’s have a match.’

‘But…’

‘You’re not going to tell me you don’t have time?’

‘No… it’s just that…’ Kid stuttered, until he finally fell on his knees ‘There’s only three of us… IT’S NOT EVEN!’

The two friends burst out laughing, and for a moment, it felt like back when things were okay and no one was in mortal peril.

 

‘Hey, Kid’ Black Star asked. The sun was beginning to set and the black moon was already in the sky. ‘Have you been to see her yet?’

There was a couple of minutes of silence.

‘No.’ there was guilt in his voice ‘I… I saw her when Stein and Marie brought her…’ he looked at Soul ‘ _you_ , in. But I haven’t had the courage yet. Something neither Marie nor Stein can heal…’

‘It sounds terrifying, put that way, isn’t it.’

‘It is’ Soul answered in a mutter. ‘It’s freaking terrifying all the time.’

 

Silence.

‘I never asked’ Black Star’s voice was lower as it could ever be ‘what actually happened.’

 

Inhale.

 

_Maka stopped dead, sudden fear all over her face._

_‘What’s wrong?’_

_‘Soul, I don’t think splitting up with Stein and Marie was a good idea anymore…’_

_Soul went to his piano and touched a single key. The threads of their resonance grew until he could feel them, at least 20 presences filled of…_

_‘Madness??? What’s going on?’_

_‘I don’t know, but they’re coming this way, Soul. We can’t take them all and Stein and Marie are too far away from us.’_

_‘RUN MAKA!’ Soul shouted, and she turned around and sprinted off the way they had came._

 

Exhale.

 

‘It was an ambush.’ Soul began before Kid could even open his mouth. He hadn’t talk about it with anyone, but his two best friends seemed like the best option to start.

 

Inhale.

 

_‘Maka, Soul!’ Stein and Marie arrived when they had already taken down 11 out of the 20 clowns that were simultaneously attacking them. The doctor jumped into battle holding the powerful hammer Marie was, but they were thrown away._

_‘Professor, I… I can’t…!’ Maka’s strength was living her, she was covered in blood and bruises all over._

_‘Hang in there!’ Stein’s voice came with sounds of another battle._

 

Exhale.

 

‘They were after us. The clowns. They would pay no attention to Stein, no matter what he did, they were fixed on taking us down. Ultimately, they wanted us dead… They wanted Maka dead.’

 

Inhale.

 

_There was only one left now, hideous._

_‘We can do this, Maka!’_

_‘Yeah!’ she jumped forward, but in front of their eyes, the last clown transform into a very much know sight. Pieces of ragged cloth began to grow from its hands, and the head was completely covered with bandages._

_‘Ki… Kishin…?’ Maka’s arms fell limb, still holding into Soul. It couldn’t be, it_ shouldn’t _be. He was trapped away, concealed in the moon by Chrona…._

 

Inhale.

 

‘I’m positive it wasn’t the Kishin Asura… but I think it was sent by him. In any case, the sight was effective enough to make us stutter.'

 

Inhale.

 

_‘Maka, watch out!’ Soul shouted, but the clown’s sharp rags were already coming at them._

_Maka tried to block them, a few got to her but one wrapped around Soul’s handle and his scream pierced the air. The clown pulled until she lost her grip and the Scythe flew through the air until Soul hit the floor, coughing blood._

_‘SOUL!’ she shouted, running towards him. Somewhere in her back he heard Professor Stein shouting her name, but she didn’t turn._

 

Exhale.

 

‘I was out. My body was broken from the inside and I couldn’t move. Everything happened too fast and I was already fainting. She jumped in front of the clown’s final blow, I… I saw the blade of cloth coming out of her back… next thing I know, the clown is dying and everything’s dark. I don’t know what happened next.’

‘It was Spirit.’ said Kid slowly.

‘Stein could’ve never killed the clown with Marie in time. But Stein got uneasy about the intel we had and asked permission to follow. I granted it. He got there just in time to see Maka get hurt.’

‘So… he saved me.’ muttered Soul.

‘We should go see her.’ said Black Star standing up with a jump ‘It’s been a while.’

 

The room was barely lightened, enough to see where you step, but it wasn’t empty. Liz, Patty and Tsubaki were there, chatting and laughing. It was nice, Soul thought, that they would sat and chat like they always had, with her. _She probably didn’t talk a lot when she was awake either_ , he thought, and smiled.

‘Well, that’s not a very common sight.’ Patty said, approaching his face ‘Look, sis! A smile!’

‘Ugh, get off, Patty…’ Soul muttered, and walked past them, hands on his pockets, to sit on the window sill as he usually did. But his heart was a bit warmer, seeing them all there, talking and chatting, and caring.

‘Not to mention’ said Liz, in a voice that denoted resentment ‘that we’ve been blessed with the mighty presence of Shinigami-sama!’

‘AND BLACK STAR’ shouted the assassin, jumping on the empty bed.

Laughter was something they all had been missing. They hadn’t laughed all together ever since that day.

Kid was taken aback by the sight of Maka. Like everyone else had been the first time they saw her, but he hold her hand and promised her that he would found out what had happened. Then, he picked out a comb from nowhere and combed her hair drawing a perfectly straight line on the middle of her head.

‘There, see. Now you’re gonna get better sooner.’ the rest all chuckled, but no one said anything, that was just his way to show affection.

 

Eventually, they all went home and only Soul was left.

They had already removed most of the bandages, though her arm was still immobilized. Besides the breathing tubes to support her lungs, it could seem that she was only sleeping. Or maybe not...

‘Hey, Maka. I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but we have some pretty cool friends.’

He stood there, looking at her. This was one of those moments when she would’ve smiled and tilted her head a little, closing her eyes. It always had amazed him, how she managed to smile with her entire body, not just her lips.

‘Man, I miss your smile so much… Maka, I…’ he let himself fall in the chair next to her covering his face with his hand. ‘Geez, Maka, I think I love you.’

 

After that day, some things started to fall back into place, and even though they all knew that it was far from being okay, at least they managed to spend time with each other. Late night reunions by Maka’s bed became more and more regular, and at some point the breathing machine was removed along with the rest of the bandages, and watching her became less painful for Soul.

But still, her wavelength was dim and Stein was worried.

‘I don’t understand’ Soul stopped in the door of the infirmary, listening.

‘I don’t understand either, Senpai’ Stein answered ‘I’ve been calling her soul with my own resonance since the first day, I know Black Star have too, as well as Shinigami. There’s just no response.’

‘I always thought’ Spirit’s voice was broken, Soul could tell he had been crying again ‘that no matter what, Maka would defeat every obstacle.’

‘Her body’s getting better. It’s just as if… as if she had lost her will to live.’

Soul’s legs gave up at that very moment, and he slid down the wall to the floor, silent tears falling down his face. In that very spot was found, moments later, by Stein and Spirit. _Not cool_.

‘Did you hear all that?’ Stein asked him, without looking down.

‘Yeah.’

‘I don’t think there’s anything else we can do, Soul. It’s not _us_ she needs to be called by.’

The two men walked past him and disappeared down the hall, leaving him there, alone with his thoughts.

What did Stein mean? _To be called by_. Be called by whom? By him? Called by Soul? But he didn’t have any wavelength power, without Maka he could feel nothing at all, only the cold of his own soul.

Slowly, he got up to his feet and by what seemed to be an automatic response his legs dragged him inside the room and back to the now usual chair.

Black Star had been there, he could tell. Maka had a tiny star drawn in her left hand and her hair was messy. Kid, obviously, hadn’t come today.

‘How do I do that, Maka? How do I call you back? I don’t have any power like that, not like Stein or Black Star or Kid… not like you.’

Slowly, he reached for her hand with trembling fingers. All this time, he had avoided touching her, afraid of what would happen… or rather, afraid of what wouldn’t happen. Because there was going to be no sparks, no electricity running through their bodies. There was not going to be a gentle grasp coming back from her, only a light hand drained of everything. Would that still be Maka’s hand, Maka’s touch?

But still, he reached for it, and took it gently between his. It was so cold and dry and light, it felt like something that didn’t belong to her. His heart sank deeper in his chest, because it felt like she was, indeed, somewhere she couldn’t be reached by anyone, not even him.

‘Come back to us, Maka’ he whispered to the hand, trying to make it warmer ‘come back to me.’

He placed a single ephemeral kiss on the back of her hand and left it carefully on the bed by her side, getting up to leave. It was already dark and Blair was depending on him for dinner.

 

He felt it before he heard it, the unmistakable warmth and power of Maka’s wavelength. It hit him on the back of his head like a rush of wind, like a hurricane, and then it came the screaming and the shouting, and soon enough Stein was pushing him aside as he ran into the room to try and grab a very much awake Maka.

He ran inside again too, not knowing what to do, but wanting to anyway.

Chaos was unleashed. Along came Kid and Spirit, and the shouting had wake up Sid and Nygus too. But she was out of herself, kicking and screaming and shouting incoherencies. And then Soul realized what she was saying. She was calling for him.

‘I’M HERE!’ he shouted back, trying to get her to look at him and grabbing her hand again, now full of life and strength ‘I’M HERE MAKA, I’M HERE WITH YOU!’

And then she stopped.

‘Soul?’ his name came out of her mouth in a growl.

‘Yeah, it’s me’

And as suddenly as she had awaken, she fell again over the pillows, eyes closed.

‘Maka… MAKA!’

‘She just fell asleep’ Stein reassured him, after checking her pulse. And it looked like it, there was redness in her cheeks again, and he could hear her music once more.

 

Soul refused to go back home that night. Stein agreed that his presence may come in handy if she woke up again like that, and Kid said it was fine by him. There was a shouting contest between Soul and Spirit in the hallway that ended up when Sid grabbed Maka’s dad by the collar of his coat and dragged him away.

At last, they all went away again, and he was left alone with Stein, who asked to be woken up if anything happened, and laid down on the bed next to Maka’s. Soul sat down on the chair again and grabbed her hand. How different a sensation it was, filled with life.

Through the night, Maka shifted in dreams and called out loud for him more than once, and every time she went back to a peaceful state when he answered quietly ‘I’m right here with you’. Finally, tiredness caught up with him and he fell asleep bended over the bed, holding her hand in his.

 

‘Soul’ he heard her call in his dreams.

‘I’m right here, Maka.’ he answered softly.

‘Soul…’

‘Right here… Never gonna leave you.’

‘I know you’re there, I can see you, Soul.’

Everything was still dark, there were no lights on and the only shine came from the dark moon. But he could see her glistering emerald eyes fixed on him.

‘Maka…’

‘What are you doing here, Soul?’ she asked amused. ‘It’s late, you should be home, sleeping.’

He couldn’t believe it. She had been almost three months in a coma, and the first thing she did after waking up was worrying about him. That was pretty much everything he could take, he rushed to her side and hugged her, crying uncontrollably and not worrying at all it didn’t look cool.

‘Soul? What’s going on? Why are you…?’ and then realization came upon her, and embracing him back she caressed his hair soothingly, until he calmed down. ‘How long?’ she asked softly.

‘Almost three months.’

‘Oh, Soul…’ she took his face between her hands and fixed her eyes on his. ‘And you stood beside me all this time?’

He chuckled.

‘Where else would I be?’

She smiled. With all her body.

‘Hey, Maka… You know. I realized something.’

‘What is it, Soul?’

‘I love you.’ he said, grinning ‘And I don’t care if you don’t love me back, I just want to protect you forever, so…’ his grin faded ‘So please, please don’t you ever try to save my life again, because that’s _my_ job.’

‘Soul, you idiot’ she said, slightly punching his chest ‘You don’t get it, don’t you?’

She buried her face in his chest, holding tightly to his waist. After a second of shock, Soul hugged her back and let his forehead rest on her head.

‘Hey, Maka’ he said again ‘I just realized something…’

‘What is it?’ she asked, and he could tell she was grinning.

‘You love me.’

 

‘Okay, be careful with the steps.’

‘Soul, it’s just a stair.’

‘You haven’t gained all your muscle yet, Maka, you need to be careful.’

‘I know, but still… it’s just a stair.’

They were coming back home a week after she had woken up, precisely three months after the battle.

‘We should’ve stopped at a groceries’ store to pick up dinner.’ Maka ventured.

‘I will go out again to fetch something, don’t worry. Right now, let’s just get home. That sofa is waiting for you.’

She let out a laugh and held tighter to his shoulder.’

‘I miss it too.’

Just like that day back then, the key fit perfectly in the lock, and the door opened as if it didn’t care she was back, but inside the apartment…

‘SURPRISE!’ everyone was there. Kid, Patty, Liz, Black Star, Tsubaki and Blair. There were balloons and and tons of food, and across the ceiling and huge banner that read “It’s good to have you alive in the City of Death”.

She was so happy she started crying.

‘It’s alright’ Soul told her, and led her to the sofa ‘I will protect you from Black Star… That’s my job after all.’


	2. Merging of the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Maka wakes up, Soul and her need to clarify their relationship and talk about their feeling. The problem is they don't know how to do that. On the other side, the isolated event with the clowns might not be so isolated as they thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one has a lot more fluff, and is not just as angsty as the first chapter, but still beware some crazyness by the end of it ;)

Inhale

_ The pain that came along when the clown grabbed him to detach him from Maka’s hands was unbearable. He felt every drop of blood boiling and his ribs being shattered. And still, it didn’t compare with the feeling of failure, the feeling of abandonment, that overcame him knowing his Meister was unarmed and alone. _

Exhale

He knew what came next, and still couldn’t avoid looking. 

Inhale.

_ Maka was jumping in front of the cloth blade, and soon the rag was coming through her back, red with blood.  _

_ And then another strike. _

_ And another, _

Exhale.

This was not okay, this isn’t how it went. 

Inhale.

_ Soon after the fifth stab, Maka just stopped screaming and her body hanged limp from the pieces fabric that pierced her. The clown withdraw the blades and she fell on the ground, still, and white, and empty. _

Exhale.

 

His bed was covered in cold sweat, and so was he. That dream, that horrid dream wouldn’t stop happening.

Soul got up from bed still shaking. He needed to see her. He needed to check she was alright, sleeping in her bed on the other bedroom.  _ Alive _ .

But she wasn’t sleeping on her bedroom. 

She was standing right outside his door.

“Geez, Maka!” he shouted in surprise “What are you doing?”

“I…” her eyes averted his. In the dim light Soul could see her worried expression, so he grabbed her in an embrace.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“Yes.”

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“Okay. Bad dreams?” he led her to the couch and they sat.

“Not exactly…”

“Then, what is it?” 

“What about you, Soul?” there was determination in her eyes.

“M-me?” the question caught him off guard. Ever since Maka’s return to the apartment he had been looking after her and making sure she had everything she needed. He just hid everything that was going through his mind to keep her from worrying.

“I can hear you, Soul.” she said, and she looked now a bit annoyed “Every night you wake up calling my name, and every night you come to my room. But you never wake me up.”

Soul sighed and let himself fall back on the couch, his gaze fixed now on the ceiling.

“Just a bad dream.”

“Tell me.”

“You should rest.”

“I’m tired of resting, Soul!” there were tears in her eyes now. “I want to know what’s happening to you. I want to be there for you, to help  _ you _ get better!”

“Maka, I… I just…”

“Don’t push me out. I… I love you, Soul.”

_ I love you _ . They hadn’t talk about that ever since the night she woke up in the infirmary, almost six weeks ago. First she had been always surrounded by people, or sleeping. Then, when they came back home he wanted to make things comfortable and light, so he didn’t touch the subject again. And so time had gone by, and he began to think that going back to that wasn’t such a good idea. But there she was, saying those words again. Only not again, really.

“Soul?”

“I never knew” he said, slowly gazing back at her. 

“Huh?”

“If I had guessed that right. You didn’t... “ his crooked smile appeared in his face “That’s actually the first time I hear you say that.”

Maka went from pale to pink to bright red.

“Well, you didn’t repeat it either!” she was blushing so hard and she was so cute.

“You look like a tomato” Soul joked.

“Soul, you idiot!” she Maka-chopped him, but she was laughing hard, and so was he.

 

“What do you mean, just yesterday she said it back?” Black Star asked, stopping training in the middle of a grab, holding Soul’s arm in a very unnatural position.

“Black Star, my arm!”

“Soul, she’s been back home for a month now, you’re seriously telling me you haven’t talked about this until yesterday?”

“My… arm!”

“Sorry” Black Star let him go, but cornered him menacingly “So?”

“Well, we didn’t talk about it last night either, really… We just fell asleep on the couch and today it was late for work and stuff so we just run.”

“Oh man!” Black Star grabbed his head in frustration “Soul, man, you’re my bro, my comrade… But I can’t understand how stupid you are sometimes.”

“Dude, cut me some slack. We’re warrior children. We grew up learning how to kill the bad guys and prevent future Kishins. For fuck’s sake we eat souls!”

“Yeah, not all of us.”

“You get my point. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but I have no skills whatsoever in socializing, with anyone, to be honest. And Maka can’t talk unless it’s something straight out of a book.”

“I don’t know about that…”

“Dude, every argument you’ve ever had with her, ended up with both of you with a black eye or a swollen cheek, because neither can say ‘I’m sorry’”

“It’s the pride, man, it does nasty things.”

Soul sighed and sat down on the nearest bench, letting his head fall between his shoulders.

“I mean, I never expected to fall in love… that’s not something I had in mind. I never planned any of this.”

Black Star burst out laughing in front of him, which annoyed Soul more than it should probably have to, but he said nothing. 

“Soul, I don’t think that’s the kind of stuff you can plan. But you definitely need to talk it out with her.”

“Don’t you think I know that? But what should I tell her? How do you even start a relationship? Is it really starting one when we’ve lived together for over six years?”

“Man, how should I know? I’m aromantic. I’ve literally zero idea of what you’re supposed to say in this kind of situations. But I know for sure you two need to TALK TO EACH OTHER.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

They resumed training after that, but after a couple of failed blockings and a lot of falling, Black Star called it of.

“Yeah, I’m not punching you straight in the face anymore, I don’t feel like facing a Maka-chop today.”

“Sorry. I was thinking about talking to Marie senpai about it… maybe she can help.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

Soul was turning to leave when the Black Star grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Oh, and Soul” his face was straight and his eyes dark “You’re my best mate, but you know Maka is like a sister to me. If you ever do anything that hurts her, there’s no blade you can conjure that can save you.”

“You don’t have to worry about that” Soul’s lips crooked in a smile “My life… it’s hers now. It’s always been.”

 

“Tsubaki what should I doooo?” Maka was lying on her back in Black Star and Tsubaki’s apartment, her friend was sitting next to her looking down at her with a smile.

“Talk to him.”

“Oh yeah, easy.”

“I take it you have already tried to talk?”

Maka blushed.

“Well, I don't know. We kind of ended up falling asleep in the middle of a pillow fight.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“I know it’s not! But I don’t know how to engage him, does he want a relationship? What’s our status? Are we still friends or something else?”

“First of all, you don’t ‘engage’ the person you love, you talk to them, you chat, you maintain a conversation. Keep the combat terms outside because they have nothing to do in this terrain.”

“Huh?” Maka sat up and looked at her friend. 

“You two kids have trained too much and lived too little.”

“It’s been a really long time since our lives stopped being normal. We just focus on surviving”

“Well, the truth is we’re not normal people, we never were.”

“I just wish I knew what’s going through that weaponized mind of his.”

“Maybe you should talk to someone who’s actually had a relationship with their partner? Hear the experiences of some other weapon.”

“Like Marie?”

“I was thinking about someone a bit more close to you…”

“No way I’m talking about this with Papa. He’d try to face Soul in a duel or something like that.”

“I think those two have somewhat surpassed that stage.” Tsubaki said mindfully.

“What do you mean?” Maka asked, intrigued.

“Oh, really. Who do you think were the ones that stayed at your bedside all the time when you were in the infirmary?”

A hint of realization appeared in Maka’s face and Tsubaki smiled.

“They might not like each other, but I’m pretty sure Spirit senpai already knows how Soul feels about you, Maka. And he might’ve even accepted it, it was thanks to Soul that you came back from the coma, after all.”

Maka said nothing else, but she thought that maybe it was worth a try. After all, they were both Death Scythes. And even if it was hard for her to accept, despite his behaviour, her father had never stopped loving her mother.

 

Soul knocked on the door of the office lightly. So lightly that it almost didn’t even sound.

“Oh well, she’s not here.” he said to himself and turn around to leave. Once there, he didn’t feel like talking to Marie was a good idea at all. There was no guarantee she’ll keep her mouth shut about it, and if Stein ever caught notice of the conversation, the whole school would know. And that’s not taking in matter what he would do if he found it strange that Soul could fall in love. He still needed his own heart.

“Soul?” Marie had, in fact, heard him knock.

“Oh, hi.” Soul scratched the back of his head unconsciously.

“Can I help you with something?”

“I… I don’t know. Maybe? I was looking for advice, actually.”

“Oh!” Her face lit with happiness “Come on in!”

Soul followed her into the office and realized he had never actually been there. The truth was that ever since they graduated, he had stopped talking to his teachers, unless they were together on a mission. And he hadn’t talked to Marie since…

“I’m sorry” she said, before he could ask anything.

“What?” 

“I’m sorry we weren’t able to stop that clown.” She said it without doubt or hesitation. “We fell straight into their trap and it was Franken and I’s responsibility to keep you safe…”

“It wasn’t” Soul sat down in a comfy chair and looked at her. “We were a team out there, Senpai. You’re more experienced but not our teachers anymore.”

“That’s a kind way to say we’re old” she said, sitting down too.

“Not old. Just older. Your responsibility for a while now has been to stay alive for your daughter. Marie-Senpai… I don’t blame you.”

She smiled, and he could see her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. 

“So… uh…” he looked away, giving her time to readjust.

“Oh, yes! Did you want advice about your students?”

“What? No, I… that’s going really well, actually.” He said with half a smile “I didn’t expect it to go that well. I didn’t know I had it in me.”

“Oh, I knew you’d be great right from the start, Soul!”

“Why?”

“Well, you’re a kind and straightforward guy, and that’s good for teaching.The kids need teachers who don’t hesitate about their answers, even if the answer is ‘I don’t know’, that shows them they can trust you.”

“They get a lot of that, honestly.”

“That’s not bad, as long as you can come up with an answer later on.”

“Maka helps me with that, yeah.”

“Well, then. Soon enough, those kind of answers won’t be as usual anymore.”

“By now I thought they’d get tired of hearing me say ‘I don’t know’, honestly. I mean, they can change classes, but they all stick around.”

“Oh, but that has nothing to do with your ability to teach, Soul.” Marie looked amused.

“Just don’t tell me it’s because they think I’m pretty…”

“Oh, no!” she laughed “Nothing like that. It’s because you’ve achieved something most of them just can’t even fathom to achieve.”

“Well, no. Becoming a Death Scythe is illegal now”

“Not that.” She stood up and went to a little stove on the corner “Tea?”

“Uh… Sure.”

“This is hard to explain” she said, while preparing the mugs and the tea bags and placing them in a tray “What you kids did back then, what you and Maka, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Liz and Patty did… that’s history now. It’s part of our history and is being taught to the younglings.”

She walked back to where Soul was sitting and placed the teapot and the cups on a little table.

“Sugar?”

“No, thanks.”

“I don’t have milk here.”

“It’s okay.”

“You inspire them, Soul. What you did, what you can do, and the way you are about it. Those things are huge for kids like them, kids that are just starting and have no idea about where to point their lives to or what to expect to achieve. Forging a Death Scythe is not a goal anymore, that finish line has dissolved and the future is uncertain. But you have something most of the weapons in this world only dream of, and if you were able to acquire that, then maybe they can too, and that’s inspiring.”

“I still have no idea what you’re talking about.” Soul said with a worried expression, and Marie laughed again.

“I’m talking about Maka.”

He blushed, that was not what he thought he was going to hear.

“The meister-weapon relationship you guys have, is deeper than any other I have ever seen. And I think you will soon be achieving a level most of us just will never be able too. And that’s because of the nature of that relationship: loyalty and friendship beyond anything else.

“For most of us weapons, it’s always been ‘become a Death Scythe, become successful, follow orders, die at some point in the future. The truth is that the partnerships formed in school don’t usually overcome graduation, for different reasons, and the main one is that every student in this school is looking for their own success.

“That doesn’t work like that with you two. It never did.”

“It did.” Soul said “We always strived for success and for me to become Death Scythe and Maka to become the best Meister of all times.”

“Yes, but your struggle was never just for yourself, and I think that makes the difference. You guys always fought for each other and you fought together. And you’re always ready to put your lives at risk for the other.”

“Yeah” Soul sighed and left the tea cup on the table “That’s proved to be a very bad demeanor, on both sides.”

“Maybe, but it’s kept you together and fighting the good fight. And that’s what inspires your students. You’re not just a weapon, or just a Death Scythe. You’re Maka’s Death Scythe and everyone knows that. No one will ever dare to try and make you guys work separately because we know it just won’t work any other way. You’re as good as you are  _ because _ you’re together, not despite of it.”

“We’re meant for each other…” The words came out of his mouth before he could stop it, and Marie smiled in realization.

“Well, at least I think you are.”

He stood up quickly trying to hide his red face and looked at the clock. 

“Thank you for the tea. I’m sorry, I need to go.”

“Oh, but you haven’t asked what you wanted to know yet.”

“Actually, you’ve already given me the answer I was looking for.” he smiled, and walked out of the office, Maka should be about to leave for home now, maybe if he catched up with her…

 

He found her only a few corridors away from where he was, standing in front of a closed door, apparently holding her breath.

“Are you afraid he’ll recognise your breathing?” he asked quietly on her ear. She must’ve been really concentrated as to no feel him arrive, and she gave a little squeal.

“Soul! You scared the hell out of me!”

“Didn’t mean to” He stared at the door. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“I’m not exactly sure, to be honest… Tsubaki suggested…” she blushed a little and shook her head. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, uh… I was talking to Marie-senpai about my clases” he said quickly.

“Oh.”

They look at the door again, then each other and then at the door again.

“Are you going to knock, or…?” Soul asked finally.

“You know…” Maka answered “I don’t think he can give me the answer I’m looking for.” She looked at him with that smile that made her squint her eyes and added “I think you’re the only one who can.”

That answer, so definite, took him by surprise, but after a few seconds he smiled and offered her his arm.

“Let’s go then.”

They walked out the school and into the city talking about little things, until the shadow of the moon started to crawl into the sky and they both stopped to look at it.

“Hey, Soul…”

“Oi, Maka…” 

They both started talking at the same time, and at the same time stopped. They look at each other and giggled.

“You first.” She said.

“Okay.” Soul didn’t argue, he knew she wasn’t going to speak until he was done. “Tell me, Maka, do see yourself wielding another weapon?”

“Huh? Why would I ever do that?”

Her answer was so honest Soul couldn’t suppress a laugh.

“Soul, what do you mean?” 

“Okay” he said with a deep sigh, if she could be straightforward with him, why couldn’t he be straightforward with her? “The thing is, I didn’t go to Marie’s office to talk about my students. We ended up talking about that, but that’s not what I wanted advice on.”

“Oh.” she blushed a little.

“You see, Maka… I don’t know how to do this, how to be a… a boyfriend or anything like that, but I’m completely sure that I don’t want to share this life or anything in it with anyone else but you. And Marie said… she said that… that we’re meant to be together, at least as meister and weapon, and I thought maybe we’re meant to be together for everything else too. So…” he scratched the back of his head looking at his feet “So I wanted to know if you feel like that too. So, do you ever see yourself wielding another weapon?”

“No.” she answered fast and without hesitation, and her expression completely serious “No, Soul, I don’t see myself ever wielding another weapon, and if by any chance we’re no longer together at some point… I will not be able to wield anyone else. Because I, too, think that we’re meant to be together, in this fight, and in every fight ever to come, forever.”

 

Inhale.

Soul felt it first. Crawling up his muscles, twisting his hands into fist.

Exhale.

Maka heard the whistle and her heart sank. Not now, not here.

Inhale.

The both turned around to the dark alley on their right, not seeing, but feeling the presence of the creature lurking in the shadows.

Exhale.

 

“Soul!” Maka yelled, trying to conceal her fear and lock it down her guts. She knew how to fight with fear, that was her strength, it was not going to overrule her now.

Soul didn’t answer, he just grabbed her hand and turned into the scythe.

The rags appeared out of the pool of darkness, heading straight to them, but Maka blocked every single one of them with a steady blow. 

“WhY dO yOU Keep fIgHtinG?” the voice that reached them was all too familiar.

“It can’t be…” Maka whispered.

“We kNoW hOw to DEfeAt you” it was coming to them from everywhere around them.

“No…” her legs were trembling and her grasp around Soul hardened.

_ “Keep it together Maka” _ Soul shouted to her.

“THerE’s No oNE Here TO saVe YoU tHiS TImE.” 

The clown stepped finally into the light, and they could see it entirely. Soul could not speak, but Maka screamed with all her strength, it wasn’t a scream out of fear, but out of rage.

“YOU DON’T BELONG IN THE WORLD!” Soul could sense her fury “As a Maister of Shibusen, I will kill you and collect your soul, Kishin egg!”

She jumped forward, wielding the scythe, starting the fight and ready to finish it. She hit blow after blow, making the pieces of fabric pile down on the street, but the rags never stopped coming, and the clown didn’t wither. 

Again and again they attacked, and again and again the clown would collect itself and attack back. And they were getting tired.

_ “Maka, we should step back and think. This guy is not affected by our attacks in the slightest.” _

“I can see that Soul, it’s just like fighting him all over again”

_ “But he’s not him, Maka, we can win this!” _

“But how?” she asked, and there was a hint of panic in her tone.

_ “Come on, you know the answer, there’s only one way to do it” _

She smiled.

“Of course.” 

 

Inhale.

“Resonance of the Soul!”

_ “Resonance of the Soul” _

Exhale.

“WITCH HUNTER”

Inhale.

Maka stepped forward, fixing her feet to the ground. Every heartbeat seemed like an eternity.

Exhale.

_ “Now!” _

Inhale.

She burst into movement, not caring about the cuts in her arms and legs as she pushed forward the now gigantic scythe.

Exhale.

The both screamed as the blade cut through air and fabric and… It stopped.

“Wha…” Again, the clown was grasping Soul by the handle, pulling. Just like the last time.

Inhale.

“Oh, no you won’t!” 

_ “Oh, no you won’t” _

“YOU WON’T TAKE MY PARTNER AWAY FROM ME, NOT AGAIN!” 

_ “YOU WON’T TAKE MY PARTNER AWAY FROM ME, NOT AGAIN!” _

Exhale.

 

The blackened moon was already out, and the sun was setting with an uneasy look on his face as Kid watched him go down.

“What is it?” he asked the silent sun “What can you see that I don’t?”

It was the third day in a row that he noticed his worried face, but still he couldn’t figure out what it was that had the sun so uneasy. At last, it went down without a laugh.

Kid sighed, and began to clear his desk, and then he felt it. Maka’s wavelength, full out. And then, only a few seconds after, a Soul Resonance. 

“Liz, Patty!” he shouted, as he began to run, the door opened and the sisters were waiting for him. When they saw that he had left things on the desk unevenly placed, without even asking they transformed, and he catched them as he went. There would be time to explain later.

“Beelzebub!” he shouted, and the skateboard materialized in mid air. Kid jumped on it and rushed forward, not even stopping when he hit Sid on the hallway.

_ “Kid, who is it?” _ asked Patty.

_ “Is it Maka?” _ asked Liz.

“It’s Maka, and Soul.” he said simply, and kept going. 

Just as he was reaching the stairways that led into the city, he found Black Star and Tsubaki walking in, there was no need for words. As soon as they saw him coming Tsubaki transformed into the Ninja Sword form, and Black Star started running as fast as he could, following Kid.

They were the first at the scene. Kid knew Stein and Marie were coming behind them.

When they arrived, they were paralyzed by the appearance of the clown: it looked just like Asura, but completely white.

“I-it can’t be…” Black Star muttered, and Liz and Patty whined. “Kid, how can he…”

“He can’t” said Kid, and looked up to the moon. “He can’t…” 

But at that very moment, and before they could join the fight, Maka’s wavelength pulsed, and so did her weapon’s. Both their souls began to grow until the were occupying the exact same space, and everything clown was burning down to ashes, including the white copy of Asura, who was now screeching. 

And when Maka spoke, Soul’s voice resounded too, like an instant echo.

_ “MERGING OF THE SOUL!”  _

Maka’s arm and the scythe were no longer separated, the blade was coming right out of her elbow, and everything it touched burst on fire.

_ “You have no place in this world, clown. As meister and weapon of the Shibusen, I will collect your soul.”  _ and with a single blow the clown was cut in half and reduced to cinder.

 

Maka exhaled, and when she reached the floor, Soul materialized at her side, unconscious too. 

“Kid” said Black Star, still holding the hand of a very white human Tsubaki “What the hell just happened?”

“I- I have no idea.”

He looked up, and then he saw it: there was a piece missing in the pitch black ball that was the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading all this way! I know I'm not keeping up with regular updates, but I'm trying my best to keep writing. There will be at least one more chapter in this story. I hope you're enjoying it!

**Author's Note:**

> I have a major plot planned for this, though it works as a one shot on it's own. Just let me know if you'd like to read more!
> 
> Also, I'm so sorry, it's been at least two years since I wrote something, but I needed to get this out of my chest. I know it sucks, be kind =)


End file.
